The Temple!

Date: Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Family!

It was so good to hear from you once again, wie immer. (Like always). It is so fun to tell people I have a brother on his mission in Uruguay! There are two of us out now. That makes me so happy. We had an investigator the other day that said, "I think that is a good tradition that your family has, to go on missions. To share what you believe and to learn a new language and go to another country. That is a good tradition." I agree! Missions are very good traditions. And I would just like to thank all the examples that went before me. I have a thought about missionary work, but I will share it a little later.

That is so cool that some of you went and hiked Timp! Wow. I am proud of you. That is so funny because the other day my companion and me were going up and down so many stairs and we had so many places to go so we were running everywhere and I turned to my companion and said, "I will be ready to run up Timp by the time I get home!" So that is fun that you actually went this week. I am sure that would´ve been so fun. I cannot even tell you how much I have learned about the importance of families since I have been on my mission. Families are a great strength. A huge strength! I knew they were important before, but now I just know it even more. So I am so glad that we are a family and that we can all help each other. Thank you family for being there! Thank you mom and dad for taking care of all of us.

I don´t think I mentioned it in my last email, but that is awesome that Chris and Jason are starting together on the football team. It is turning into Fall here very quickly and the other day the cold weather reminded me of something but I couldn´t remember, then it hit me, Football games! It was such a funny thought. Anyway, I am so happy for Chris and Jason to play together. That must be so much fun. Go Fitz brothers!!!

Well this week has been great. I will start with the most recent thing on my mind and that is the temple. We had the opportunity today to go to the temple and it was wonderful. I cannot even describe. Well in short it was home, really home. It was so peaceful, and harmonious, and the feeling of love, and service was there. It was so wonderful. This was my first time in over 6 months, and oh it felt good to go back. While there I just had so many new insights and a chance to feel what heaven will be like. Enough to make me want to go back out again and share it with others. The Temple is a wonderful blessing, a blessing of heaven.

Well we were able to find three new investigators this week! And we are really excited for them. They all are really searching for answers. And we have them! It is so comforting to know that when people say, "My dad died three months ago, do you know where he is or what will happen to him?" we can say "Yes. God has a plan for all his children for them to be happy and that plan helps us to know where are loved ones go after this life and what God has in store for them and all of us." or when people say, "My family is the most important thing to me, I just want to know how I can keep them safe. I want to find my way in this life so I can show my children." And this gospel has the way prepared to help all people.

I love this gospel and the light it brings to our life. The peace it brings, the knowledge it brings, the comfort it brings, the help it brings, the strength it brings. God loved us so he sent his Son. If we have faith on him and follow his example we will have happiness now and always. This gospel brings happiness. That is truth. No one can deny that. While I was in the temple I just imagined what it would be like to converse with Heavenly Father. All the little sins that I might try to justify just seemed so silly. I felt and knew that Heavenly Father knew me to my core and I knew that I knew he was my Father and I just realized my desire to become more like Him and His Son Jesus Christ.

So my thought that I was talking about before about missionary work. It ´s like an all in one job. We are down in the dirt working (sometimes in service), we talk to people wherever they are on the street, behind their doors, on the Buses and trains, then we manage everything. Once a week we plan and we figure out how and what we can teach people so they can come closer to Christ. We are the managers, plus the nitty gritty workers. I guess God is more of the manager, if we follow the spirit he will guide us. But he does give us our stewardship and expects us to manage well and work hard. Missionary life, is a great life, and the best preparation for the rest of my life!

I love this work, and I love you family!

Love,
Sister Fitzgerald

P.S.
Mom tell Kristin hi and thanks for those pictures. They were really fun to see.